


Repeat, Start Over, Repeat, Continue?

by TissyYip



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: F/F, F/M, Humour, Is it still major character death if they come back?, M/M, Time Loop, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 01:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6309058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TissyYip/pseuds/TissyYip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Isabela dies it's obviously a dream. The second time it's... weird. The fifteenth time it's a regular occurrence, Isabela just wishes she didn't lose quite so much time. There's only ever so many times she can meet Hawke before she gets bored after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Repeat, Start Over, Repeat, Continue?

**Author's Note:**

> I have literally no idea why I wrote this pairing. This was supposed to be an under 1,000 word speed write I dunno what happened also this is unbeta'd so watch out I guess.

Isabela was looking at the ship that would be the start of her career as Pirate Queen of The Seas. It took her longer than she would have liked to get it but finally she was free of Castillon and had a ship.

Everything was going to be perfect. Isabela was about to step onto her ship (hers!) when she heard a high pitched screech and everything went white.

-

The first thing Isabela saw when she opened her eyes was the rotten walls of the Hanged Man. She slammed her head against the pillow and sighed. She was having the best dream…

After such an _amazing_ awakening she could tell, today was going to be just terrible.

Isabela is less productive than usual during the day although that isn't saying much. In the evening she drags herself to the Hanged Man. Isabela tries to drink, Lucky interferes and the whole thing is so much like her dream that it's surreal. Someone helps her out and when Isabela doesn't see the chesty brunette from her dream with her dick of a brother the templar and instead sees a breaded man and a dainty brunette Isabela is almost disappointed. 

Isabela considers asking them for help but decides against it. She'll be fine on the own, she always is.

The duel with Hayder turns out to be a trap. Isabela isn't surprised by that. She is however surprised by the archers hiding behind her. The last thing Isabela remembers before everything goes white is the arrow piercing her heart.

-

Isabela opens her eyes and sees the walls of the Hanged Man. Immediately her hands fly to her chest searching for the wound she remembers receiving but there’s nothing there.

She decides against leaving her bad for the day and lays back down to sleep. Today feels like it's gonna suck so Isabela is just gonna avoid it. In her dreams Isabela briefly feels a sharp pain at her throat before everything gets white.

-

Isabela wakes up and refuses to open her eyes. She can just imagine the blood from her slit throat coating the walls. It won't be there a rational part of her knows. The same part questions how she could die twice and still be alive.

‘I guess it's not a death if it hasn't happened yet’ she thinks and laughs, either she's gone crazy, magically turned into a mage overnight or there is something very odd going on. For now Isabela is betting on the third option.

Isabela gets up and prepares herself to use the only method she can think of for surviving the day, asking for help.

Isabela drinks, Lucky attacks this time her _helper_ is a blond lady mercenary and her sister Miss “I'm totally not a mage, ignore my fancy walking stick”. The blond is Hawke and the mage is Bethany. The name Hawke sounds vaguely familiar but Isabela thinks nothing of it, it's a pretty badass name so she probably met some mercenary or pirate with it before.

Anyway Hawke helps, Isabela lives and in exchange for the help she promises to help Hawke get some maps.

Isabela has no idea what a chantry has to do with getting maps but she goes a long with it… and sees a familiar face. Anders looks like Anders, he's older than he was in The Pearl but matches up pretty closely with Anders from her dream. If dream Anders is real then her dream ship must be too and suddenly the future is looking a lot brighter for Isabela.

The chantry goes like she remembers, Justice makes an appearance, freaks everyone out but Hawke gets the maps she wanted so Isabela counts the whole thing as a success.

Isabela almost wants to tell Hawke that she's done since her dept is replayed but she remembers that there is an expedition to the deep roads in the near future. An expedition that goes rather well… So Isabela tells Hawke that she's staying in the Hanged Man and to “visit if you need any help" Isabela winks and Hawke turns such a delightful shade of red that Isabela laughs all the way back to her room.

Two weeks later Isabela is in a mine full of dragons because Hawke asked. Varric and Anders are there too and everything is going great right up until a big ass dragon steps on Isabela and breaks her back. That's what she gets for being overconfident she supposes. Just because in her dream she had a ship doesn't mean she has to survive long enough to to have one now.

-

Isabela gets up, meets Hawke (guy, redhead, rogue), meets Anders (still the same as always), meets Varric (she says she'll read his book about Hawke, he looks at her oddly).

Bethany is nice and frankly Isabela doesn't think she has a mean bone in her body but she's also boring.

Isabela has known Hawke for about three weeks when she first meets Fenris. Technically it's not their first meeting but Fenris doesn't know that. Fenris is broody and hates mages, Tevinter, and slavers. Isabela makes it her goal to sleep with him before she dies again.

Isabela ‘meets’ Aveline again too. Aveline is… a buzzkill and makes some very rude assumptions so Isabela very quickly decides to avoid her.

Isabela also meets Merrill again but they don't have much time to chat. Isabela refuses to acknowledge this death as her fault. After all who could have known that giant spider poison was deadly when combined with a haste spell? Well Anders probably, or Merrill or Bethany… maybe Hawke. Well Isabela didn't know so she decides that her point stands.

-

Isabela meets Hawke (girl, blonde, mage) and her brother soon-to-be-a-templar dick. Isabela meets everyone else too and actually manages to make it to the expedition. Isabela goes and So does Carver. Hawke and Varric are obviously there too.

They find a red lyrium idol which promptly gets stolen by Bertrand and they're left for dead.

A dragon burns Isabela’s face off and she's really starting to hate the stupid things. It’s a shame she didn't mange to sleep with Fenris but there's always next time.

-

They get to the deep roads _again_ and this time the dragon is dealt with but the rock wraith crushes Varric's skull in and Carver died from the Bligh. Hawke and Isabela don't manage to get out of the deep roads before running out of food… Isabela decides to never repeat that experience.

-

Hawke is a warrior so Bethany is here and she gets to stay at home. Anders goes instead and Isabela has never seen him as miserable as he is there. At least everybody gets out alive and Isabela gets a pretty damn good share of the treasure. She gets a better room in the Hanged Man, she can still imagine the walls of her current room covered in blood every time she sees it.

For a while life is pretty damn good. Friendship with Fenris has… benefits, Varric is always fun, Hawke is a ive really nice he helps Isabela look for the relic even though they never find anything, Merrill is adorably innocent and Isabela and Anders have a... frail friendship. Poor Bethany is stuck in the circle but she's a _good mage_ , well a chantry approved one anyway so for now she's safe.

Things stop being good when the house of a potential blood mage they are investigating for the templars catches on fire and they all burn in agony. Isabela is rather desensitised to her own death, she's died enough times that it's almost more of an annoyance than anything but the deaths of her friends always hurt.

-

Isabela wakes up and stares at a familiar not familiar wall. It's her wall but something’s _different_.

Isabela soon sees what's different when she leaves her room and is greeted by Varric lounging on a beer stained sofa in the bar.

  
“Varric I know this sounds weird but, what happened yesterday?” This whole situation is new and Isabela is confused.

Varric gives her an odd look and replies “We got out of the deep roads Rivaini”

“Oh..” ‘well this is _new_ ’ Nowadays new can mean very bad or very good. Either way Isabela is excited.

Isabela heads out towards Hawke’s house and when she opens the door she sees Leandra. Isabela asked if Hawke is home and gets a suspicious look followed by a stiff nod in return, Leandra never did like Isabela very much and the feeling was mutual.

Isabela opens the door to Hawke’s room and sees long ginger hair. ‘Oh, things are still different I guess’ Isabela wasn't expecting this although, maybe she should have. Hawke turns, smiles and asks what Isabela is doing here. Since she can't say “I'm checking if time rewound or if you'd be a completely different person again” Isabela just shrugs and says she was passing by.

Hawke always looks different yet acts pretty much the same. Hawke is good, really truly good in a way Isabela never was and its good to see that, that doesn't change.

Hawke tells Isabela that Leandra managed to get the mansion back so they'll be moving soon. Isabela offers to help because she might as well. Hawke looks surprised and shakes her head and says there's no need. Isabela shrugs, and makes an excuse to leave. 

Isabela is walking through the lowtown market when she almost walks right into Anders.

Anders looks troubled and when Isabela asks if he's alright he asks “Have you ever felt déjà vu all day?” Isabela wonders if he remembers, he never did before but things changeed so maybe this did too. Outwardly she laughs off his question.

This time the mansion doesn't burn but Hawke’s mother is kidnapped and turned into a walking corpse. Isabela has never felt more disturbed by something. As she is struck down by a chain lightning spell she swears that she will never let this happen again.

-

Isabela makes herself scarce before Hawke can ask for help investigating the blood mage guy, hides in the shadows and slits Quentin’s throat the moment she sees him. She ditches his body in an alleyway, it's not like anyone will really miss him. He was a mage and didn't strike Isabela as a people person.

Anders gives her an odd look next time they meet but doesn't say anything. Isabela thinks he doesn't remember anything but it's possible that he suspects something.

Isabela ends up dead when she gets stabbed in the back by someone, she's doesn't even know who but it's probably some desperate darktown residents. Frankly the whole thing is embarrassing.

-

Stuff goes as usual and everything is calm but then Isabela sleeps with Hawke. It's a stupid thing to do she knows but Hawke flirted and offered and well... It'll reset anyway. This won't have happened but the truth is Isabela has been a little in love with Hawke since the deep roads and this is not going to help.

She tells Hawke taht this is just for fun and pretends to not see the slight hurt on he's face. Isabela is glad that she has that reputation of sleeping around to fall back on otherwise this might have gone badly.

When she hears a couple weeks later that Hawke got together with Anders she's glad for them. If there's anyone who can help Anders loosen up it’s Hawke. 

Honestly when Isabela dies a few days later she's almost relived. Being stabbed through the neck is instantaneous and this way she doesn't have to see Hawke and Anders be disgustingly happy because that was getting old fast. It takes only a second for her to realise how terrible that thought is.

-

When Isabela finds out that Aveline, woman shaped battering ram, has a crush on a guardsman. Obviously she insists on helping. The whole thing ends up going hilariously wrong in every way imaginable until suddenly it's perfect. If Isabela had to kill herself seven times before things work out well... nobody had to know that. After all _Isabela doesn't like Aveline_ she woeful never do something so nice for her.

-

Hawke like always asks Isabela if she wants to go help Feynriel in the fade, for once she decides to agree if only to see what the fade is like.

Anders comes too and that's how she properly meets Justice for the first time. Justice, Isabela soon discovers is very blunt.

“Are you the one who keeps spinning back time sea wench” Isabela is just glad that Justice waited for Hawke and Merrill to wonder off to stare at some barrels.

“That's not a nice thing to call someone, and no I'm not”

Justice doesn't frown but his face contortions like he's trying to. “Time reverses when your death draws near and you're the only one who remembers, what other explanation do you have for the situation?“

Isabela has no satisfactory answer so she instead asks “Does Anders remember?”

Justice blinks and Isabela almost wishes she saw him more often because his facial expressions are amazing. “He does not” is his simple reply, Isabela was expecting that.

“But you do, so _could_ you let Anders remember?” Isabela has moved to lean against the wall of the fake courtyard. It's not she tells herself because Justice is intimidating.

Justice continues to fail at basic human expression. “I suppose I could do that though I do not see the point to such an activity."

Isabela just laughs, “WellI wouldn't mind some company who remembers as much as I do but if Anders remembers he can probably better support _‘the plight of mages_ ’ much better so there is that.”

Justice only tilts his head in reply. Either of them see the shade coming.

-

Next time that Isabela is in the fade a demon says that what she wants most in a ship and Isabela has to stop herself from laughing in its face. She hasn't though about getting a ship in a long while. A ship may be appealing but it's no longer her goal.

-

Isabela hasn’t been up for half an hour when Anders runs into her room. He has that frazzled look which means that he didn't get any sleep last night.

“I could have been changing you know.” She says as Anders tries to catch his breath leaning against her door.

“I-I remember it's all coming back in waves now, Justice said that you knew and I had to talk to _Someone..._ " His voice trails off and then “Oh, me and Hawke huh..” There's a light blush on his face and Isabela doesn't think it's from running to her room.

"Sorry it didn't last time travel’s a bitch” Anders is wobbling where he stands so Isabela gestures towards the bed, “Sit or if you prefer lie down, I can think of a few things we could do”

Anders drops down and Isabela is worried that he'll fall asleep sitting on her bed. He doesn't thankfully and they talk, they talk _a lot_. 

In the end nothing productive comes from it but it's nice to have someone who remembers. They avoid the topic of Hawke mostly because neither would know what to say. The discussion ends when Varric comes in and ask if either of them want to play wicked grace. He thankfully doesn't question what Anders was doing in Isabela's room for so long.

Things go surprisingly well for a good long while but then Isabela meets Sebastian and hates him instantly. Sebastian is to put it plainly a sanctimonious dick. Anders certainly agrees with her and even Varric isn't the guy’s biggest fan. The fact that Isabela ends up dead from a desire demon they were fighting because of him really doesn't help.

-

Isabela knows that Anders knows about her and Hawke and Anders knows that Isabela knows about him and Hawke. This leaves neither of them willing to do anything about the Hawke situation. Eventually after several weeks of awkwardly skirting around the topic an ‘agreement’ is reached. They will wait for Hawke to make a move and accept whatever decision they make. It's probably the worst plan ever but it's fine.

-

Since the ‘agreement’ Isabela has died seventeen times. Sometimes Hawke got together with her sometimes with Anders, it was a terrible solution and Isabela was unwilling to leave things as they were so one day…

“Hey Hawke” they were alone in the Amell Manor, Leandra was out at some fancy-shmancy party. 

“Yeah ‘Bela?” Hawke was giving her the ‘confused puppy’ head tilt. It was adorable. 

“So I was thinking about Anders…” this could end very badly for everyone and Isabela had to tread carefully. Momentarily she wondered if she should talk to Anders first, she decided against it. It would be easier this way. “So I umm, know that you _like_ him and if you want… We could _invite him_ ”

Hawke's face turned a beetroot red which was probably a good sign. "You mean for a night?”

Isabela gave herself a brief peptalk and then, “I mean for like, longer. He certainly wouldn't mind and you..” Isabela made some abstract gestures with her hand and shrugged.

“Would that be okay with you? And I still like you! I umm… Like you a lot” Isabela wasn't sure a person could go any redder but Hawke was certainly trying.

“I know you like me and it's fine,” Isabela gave Hawke a smile, “ we're adults, we can share”

Isabela isn't sure she's ever seen Anders more surprised than when she tells him. Maybe that time he told her that Justice decided to accept Hawke “as an inevitability” but that wasn't a very strong maybe so…

Things really started to look up after that especially when Isabela found the Tome of Koslun. She recruited Hawke for help despite Aveline’s protests and when she had the tome Isabela ran. She ran out of Kirkwall faster than anyone would have thought possible.

She was maybe two miles outside the city before her conscience reared its ugly head and had her running back faster than she's ever ran before.

The town is burning and Hawke was seen heading for the keep and Isabela is worried and that worries her. Getting attached never did her any good but then again Isabela has been attached for a long time so maybe it doesn't matter anymore.

Isabela offers the tome but the Arishok demands _her_ and so Hawke demands a duel and it's the most absurd duel Isabela has ever seen. Hawke runs around the throne room throwing spells at the Arishok and he can do little beyond charge at her angrily. Everything looks like Hawke will win but then the Arishok sticks him sword through Hawke's lung. Hawke does manage to shock him into submission but not before losing far more blood than is good for her.

Anders immediately runs to her side with Isabela following close second and the minutes as Anders (and Justice Isabela notes) heal Hawke's wounds are some of the worst that Isabela has ever experienced. Things are good now it can't end here because Hawke is not allowed to die here, if Hawke dies Isabela is going to put her daggers to good use and no one can stop her.

Hawke does eventually start breathing more normally. Anders says that she's still hurt badly but she'll survive and that's the best news Isabela’s heard all year.

  
At the end of everything Hawke gets a fancy title and Varric's promises to write a book. Isabela doesn't think it's enough for getting stabbed but Hawke doesn't mind. If anyone asks Hawke, Isabela and Anders has lots of steamy sex that night, if all they did was fall asleep on Hawke's overgrown sofa well… Nobody needs to know that.

Isabela isn't sure when she started to care for Anders beyond friendship but the whole Arishok fiasco definitely made her realise that. She wonders if Justice knows, she worries if Justice can read mind, she chooses to shout random pirate shanties in her mind for the rest of the day, _just in case_.

Things start to deteriorate very quickly after that and soon Meredith and Orsino screaming at each other in the street becomes a common occurrence. Isabela doesn't care either way but she'll side with the mages because that's what Anders and Hawke will do. She suspects Varric will do much the same.

When things get really bad Anders starts to research... something. Hawke doesn't notice because Hawke is terrible at noticing anything. When Isabela asks Anders avoids her questions so she sneaks into his clinic in darktown and steals his plans. Anders is building a bomb, a powerful one at that. She confronts him and he calls it a “last resort” she then insists that he allow her to help, they are partners after all.

Isabela wants to tell Hawke and Anders doesn't, he keeps talking about killing innocent people so she brings up the amounts of innocent people who died when the qunari attacked because of her. Anders says that was different and Isabela agrees, he's doing this for a much better cause.

Eventually they do tell Hawke and Hawke is horrified and Hawke wants to help and that in turn makes Anders horrified because “you'll be hunted if you help me”. Isabela just laughs and suggest that they steal a ship and run away. She's only half joking.

Isabela worries that someone will die because she doesn't want to lost this, this happiness with Anders and Hawke and the friendships she has. She doesn't ever want to see the Arishok again.

Making a bomb takes time and materials so while they run around trying to put everything together they help out all their friends. Merrill gets thrown out of her clan but says "that they're all asshats anyway so who cares". She's decides to help all the city elves instead. Fenris kills his dick of an ex-master and his dick of a sister too. Varric has a ghost problem caused by red lyrium and ‘hey where did the rest of that lyrium go?’

Once they make the bomb they place it in the chantry while Hawke plays distraction. It's at this point that Isabela’s sources learn that Castillon is in Kirkwall and honestly Isabela couldn't care less. Isabela takes note of where his ship is in case they need it and leaves him be. Well not before asking a friendly crow for a favour… She really hopes Castillon get a good nights sleep.

Meredith and Orsino fight once again and this time it's right in front of the chantry. Hawke figures that today is perfect for exploding religious buildings, Anders and Isabela must agree. Hawke and Isabela play distraction while Anders gets stuff ready. The explosion itself is… oddly beautiful in a destroy everything kind of way.

Prince prissy pants Sebastian Vael sticks a knife in Hawke's hand and demands that she kill Anders. Isabela can't stop herself from laughing, it's probably inappropriate but it's just too damn funny. Hawke just looks dumbfounded at the knife like it’s the last thing she expected to see.

  
Eventually Hawke looks over to Anders and asks if he's ready to kick templar butt. Isabela really wishes that she could record the look that was on Sebastian's face after that because it was beautiful.

Everyone minus Sebastian heads for the gallows just in time of Hawke to give an epic speech before Orsino turns himself into a monster using blood magic which was highly creepy and a complete failure of logic in Isabela's opinion.

When they find Meredith they see where all that red lyrium Bertrand took from the deep roads went. By the time the statues start coming to life Isabela decides that she has seen everything there is to see.

Eventually they stab Meredith enough that she falls over, dies and gets turned into a statue. Isabela really can't resist poking her, the moment that she does there is a high pitched screech in the air before everything goes white for a moment and Isabela collapses. When she wakes up it's five minuets later and she's being carried by Aveline towards Castillon’s ship. Isabela immediately bets Anders that it's going to be a metaphor for Castillon's dick. She's not disappointed when she sees that it's called the “Giant’s Oar”.

With everyone on board Isabela sails away towards the horizon and endless opportunity. She knows that things will be fine no matter what because she's got Anders and Hawke. It'll be odd to be away from Kirkwall for possibly forever but for now that is not important all that's important is that nobody died and things are still oddly enough looking up in Isabela's opinion. Isabela also wonders how old she is if you count all the times time rewound… Maybe she'll ask Justice next time she sees him, he'd probably know.

**Author's Note:**

> (23/03/16) There I proofread it. Some stuff is slightly different now I guess. The fic is still trash tho


End file.
